By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Downtown artist Steve Miller has traveled all over the world to produce a body of work including photographs of the rainforests of Brazil, has collaborated with Nobel Peace Prize winning scientists, doctors and other artists, and has displayed his work from New York City to Munich.
But he's often felt frustrated that his work was inaccessible to fresh audiences because of the out-of-reach level of art gallery prices.
Through a new website called Artspace, however, Miller is selling up to 200 prints of his most recent photographs for as little as $250 apiece, one tenth of his normal selling price.
"The number one thing it does for me, which I really love, is that it makes an incredibly affordable entry level for anyone who is interested in my work," said Miller, 59, who has lived in lower Manhattan since 1975.
"People come to my studio and say, 'Oh, I wish I could afford that.' Now they can. It takes the burden off of me and the studio."
Artspace, which launched in March, has been using social media to reach out to both seasoned and aspiring collectors by offering work by reputable artists like Chuck Close and Ralph Gibson.
The site, which is run from an office in Chelsea, offers pieces priced between $200 and as much as $10,000. The goal is to make art collecting more accessible by partnering with galleries, museums and nonprofits to sell high-end pieces at insider prices, Miller said.
Some of the sources of the art are local galleries and museums like the Guggenheim, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Studio Museum of Harlem. The site also works with locations outside of New York.
By selling several prints or smaller-scale paintings for affordable prices, rather than selling one large work at a gallery price, both the company and the artist profit without putting the burden on collectors, Miller said.
For under $1,000, anyone can start a small collection, Miller points out, but those interested in larger collections can find pricer work as well.
Moreover, the site steers new collectors in the right direction by offering a selection of trends contemporary art is taking in top galleries around the world, company executive vice president Christopher Vroom said.
"People are overwhelmed by the massive amount of information coming at them," Vroom pointed out. "What we are trying to do is curate those choices."
"What we want to do most is nurture the next generation of curators," he added.
The website also offers exclusive deals to members, including newsletters that show exclusive works by artists that are hot on the market.
"It's like getting a little gem in your email every week," Vroom said.
Additionally, collectors can find little tidbits of information about the artists featured, including their locations, where they've been shown before, and even their favorite quotes.
Although Artspace is still in its beginning stages, artists and collectors think that it'll catch on very quickly.
"I think they're going to be a rocking success," Miller said. "The quality of the work is incomparible. This is absolutely the highest level."
